CaptainCode - Josh’s Comments

If you are looking for excellent competitors, take a look at www.spanishprograms.com if you are learning spanish, or www.learnalanguage.com if you want a different language. A decent portion of our customers are frustrated Rosetta Stone customers.

In all of these discussions regarding texting, I have to agree that the thing that is missing from politicians and most of the media, is the component of personal responsibility. Most people don't get in their cars intending to cause an accident, or worse. They get in their cars thinking that they need to go somewhere. And unfortunately, that is where the thinking stops. A text message comes in, and most people can't handle the temptation of wondering who it was, what did they want, or maybe someone is texting because of some emergency.

I think at heart most people are good, and probably realize the danger to some degree that their actions pose to themselves and others, but don't think that anything can really happen to them. That is where the danger lies. We need to teach people to take personal responsibility for their actions. In fact, there are technical ways that can help in that regard as well. (Disclosure, I am an author of an app that helps in that regard) On Android, for example, there is an application called DriveSafe, that helps people to put the responsibility in their court by choosing to remove some of the temptations to text and drive. The application silences notifications of an incoming text message, and even will respond to the sender that you are busy driving and not able to see their message. That way you can choose to remove temptation, without having to worry about people thinking you are ignoring them, or what ever thought may cause people to hesitate.

Now obviously, that application won't solve all of the problems that exist, but until people start to learn other behaviors, etc. it can help. But the most important thing is people learn to take accountability for their actions, good and bad.

I find it interesting, as Darren Kopp pointed out, that generally commenters are reasonably good at staying on subject. Yet for some reason this post has turned into an attack on someone else's beliefs? I don't understand how people feel that is ok. The other thing that I find interesting, is that people have made comments about how this is "common" or "accepted" when that is blatantly false. There has been quite the up-roar here lately as the public learns of these conflicts of interest. The common constituent (as I'm sure is the case in ANY state) doesn't have time to check each legislator against every registered lobbyist list. But as we learn of them, there is very much a public uproar about it. Check out the local Utah news sites. So please, before you decide to berate us, and tear us down verify your facts, separate fact from opinion.